France - Gérald de Palmas has been a chart-topping recording artist and stellar concert draw in his native France ever since his debut single, Sur la Route, rocketed to number one in 1993. Though not yet as well-known in North America, de Palmas' name nonetheless has come to public's attention through a 2003 duet with Sheryl Crow (The First Cut Is the Deepest) and his songwriting contributions to Celine Dion's Gallic repertoire.

In 2005, de Palmas proved his staying power with a tour that pulled capacity crowds in nearly every French city that could offer at least a mid-sized arena. The tour came to a triumphant close in late November, with the last 20 shows, mostly staged in venues with seating capacities of 6,000 to 8,000, being supported by a system built around 24 Meyer Sound Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers.

The Meyer Sound package was i

Germany - Frankfurt's ProLight&Sound 2006 (29 March - 1 April) was a comprehensive success for EVI Audio, says the company, with a great many visitors to the booth, lively interest in the lectures in the Telex Academy, and a great atmosphere at the musical performances, whether at the booth ("Liquid Blue") or the Agora Stage ("The Real Groove Band" with their many special guests).

Sharing centre stage among the numerous new products on display were the four new amplifier series from Dynacord and Midas' first digital console, the XL8, which was making its world debut. The new flagship of the live console range, which had long been awaited with keen anticipation, caught the eye of all visitors and was the subject of a detailed presentation to representatives of the music trade.

Following the maxim "Never change a winning team", EVI Audio and the Mus

Europe - Tommy Hilfiger Europe (THE) selected Alcons systems for its European Hilfiger Sessions - a new jam-session concept where top and upcoming artists join for an "in the round" concert. Top audio quality has been recognized by THE as essential for the experience, which underlines the fashion company's strong connection with music.

THE's At van Barneveld said: "The idea of the Sessions arose from the wish to couple music to the brand Tommy Hilfiger. In the USA, combinations with music have been developed, literally from the beginning of the brand (as Tommy Hilfiger is a musician himself). This can be sponsoring of concerts, the close-cooperation with young artists or the development of own TH formats. The Sessions is one of those concepts."

The plan is to have a roll-out throughout Europe, with sessions in a number of European cities in a period of six

Belgium / Morocco - Belgian signal processing specialist Apex has signed a deal with one of the leading PA companies in Morocco. Encom has placed an order for 15 units of Apex's GX230 (2 x 30 band) graphic equalisers, and has also been appointed to represent the full line of Apex products in Morocco.

Based in Casablanca, Encom fulfils three different roles - as a PA company, as an installer and AV integrator, and as an importer of pro audio equipment. The company owns the first L'Acoustic V-Dosc system in Africa, and is also the L'Acoustics distributor in Morocco.

According to Encom's general manager Rachid Mediouni, Encom has long enjoyed "a good history with Apex. We already have a substantial inventory of the GX Series EQs, which enjoy the Apex reputation of stability and excellent sound quality. We never have any after-sales problems with this equipment, another reaso

USA - Zaxcom is introducing its new ZFR100 broadcast-quality recorder at NAB 2006 in Las Vegas. The ZFR100 can record up to 12 track-hours of audio directly to a 2-GB flash memory card. As an ultra-compact recorder, the versatile ZFR100 is equally well-suited for use in a sound bag as a backup recorder or as a transcription recorder. To simplify audio syncing and processing during post-production, the ZFR100 includes a full-featured time code reader/generator that stamps the time code directly on to broadcast WAV or MP3 files.

"We're excited to launch our newest product, the ZFR100, to the international audience of NAB2006," stated Glenn Sanders, president of Zaxcom. "We've engineered it to best serve users who need a lightweight, versatile recorder that can record a significant amount of information. This is particularly vital in the ENG or reality TV markets, wh

UK - The people behind the Blue Room online discussion forums have announced the launch of a new service for the entertainment industry. The Blue Room Wiki, it is hoped, will provide the backstage community with an ever-growing knowledge-base of technical know-how. Building on the success of the Blue Room forums, the Wiki will enable forum members to contribute their knowledge in article form to an online encyclopaedia.

The Blue Room now boasts almost 4,000 members, with over 110,000 messages posted since its official launch in January 2003. With over 4.5 million hits each month, the Blue Room has proved very popular. "The introduction of a Wiki is something which we've been working on for a while. We saw that the Blue Room was becoming, in part, a repository for a vast assortment of technical knowledge and advice, and an online encyclopaedia seemed like the next logical st

USA - Missouri-based Brawner & Associates has added Heath Lane to its fulltime design team. Lane was previously an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL) where he acted as a technical advisor for students in the theatre design/technology program. Prior to this, he was production manager/technical director for Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, where he oversaw all aspects of technical production.

Heath received his MFA from The Penn State University at State College, PA, in 2003. He has technically directed over 30 theatrical productions and has designed lighting for more than 100 events. His background includes experience as a rigger, master electrician, sound engineer and crew chief. On the pre-production side of the table Heath has over fourteen years' experience with multiple CAD programs working with general layouts, build draw

Germany - Neumann has expanded its range of professional microphones with the new TLM 49 large diaphragm, studio cardioid microphone. The design is inspired by the classic Neumann M 49 and M 50 microphones of the 50s, and features the famous K47 capsule used in the M 49 and U47 microphones.

Given the retro look, Neumann's proven transformerless circuitry, low self-noise, high gain levels, great sound and reasonable price, ensure the TLM 49 is poised to become yet another Neumann legend in vocal and speech recording, says the company.

The capsule has a linear frequency response up to the upper mid-range, and above 2kHz there is a gentle presence boost up to 3dB. The large 34mm diaphragm capsule, with a tendency towards supercardioid, is enclosed by a large, acoustically open, neutral sounding head grille. TLM transformerless circuitry ensures good common mode rejection, prevent

Germany - The HK Audio ConTour Series has been in the market for several months already. The smallest full-range model CT 108 is now also available as an "Event Set".

The CT 108 (8"/1", 200 W RMS) is an extremely compact, passive, full-range speaker cabinet suited for the reproduction of the human voice and acoustic instruments. In spite of its minimal dimensions, the CT 108 delivers high sound-pressure levels with a smooth frequency response-without requiring an external controller. Thanks to its dual-function housing, it can be used not only for FOH, delay lines, and front-fill applications, but for stage monitoring as well. The low-profile design and the availability in both left and right versions make it possible to enjoy full, even sound from remarkably compact speakers.

The CT 108 Event Set presents an ideal solution for product presentations, corpor

Portugal/Morrocco - Due to the continuous worldwide demand for V-Dosc, further service providers have decided to invest in the genre.

In Portugal, Puro Audio have invested in a complete 32 V- Dosc box turnkey system. Antonio Monteiro, technical director and partner of Puro Audio says: "The demand for V- Dosc in Portugal is really high, and we need to offer to our customers a state of the art system. On the other hand, to be part of the famous V- Dosc Network Partnership is a real added value for us."

In Morocco Rachid Mediouni the managing director of Encom (already a dV- Dosc provider) has purchased a V- Dosc system comprising of 18 elements to go with their existing stock of 24 dV- Dosc. This will allow them to address many prestigious festivals & events planned for this summer. This will be the first V- Dosc system permanently based on the African continent.

(Ch

Germany - From his early days as a young heartthrob to his more universal appeal in later years, Udo Jürgens has long been a legend among German music fans. With several generations of fans and decades of performing, Jürgens is still going strong. He's just released his 50th album, Jetzt oder nie (in English, Now or Never) and his current 38-city European tour has been so successful that a second tour of 40 more dates has been scheduled for autumn.

Emsdetten-based Westfalen Sound Schallwand is providing the tour with a full Meyer Sound system based around 24 Mica compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers. The main Mica array is augmented by 12 600-HP compact high-power subwoofers, as well as an assortment of additional Meyer Sound systems, including six UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers and four UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers for

UK - PLASA - the Professional Lighting and Sound Association - has announced a joint initiative with CMP Seatrade, the organisers of the Seatrade exhibitions, to host an afternoon presentation in London in early May introducing PLASA Members to business opportunities in the cruise sector.

Contracts won with cruise and ferry lines can be among the most lucrative in the world: there is currently $14.2 billion being invested in new-build activity and numbers in the cruise ship orderbook are at their highest since 2002. There is also renewed strength in the region's shipbuilding industry and the refurbishment and re-equipment sectors are also experiencing a growth surge.

The presentation, led by Seatrade MD Chris Hayman, will cover the opportunities that exist for PLASA Members in the cruise sector and the value of attending the Seatrade Med exhibition in Naples in October where f

UK / Belgium - Apex has assigned UK distribution of its range of signal processing products to KV2 Audio Europe Ltd. The appointment comes after the KV2 team's visit to Belgium, and rigorous tests of the Apex lines of digital and analogue signal processing products. "Our aim is to ensure that each part of the signal chain is of the highest integrity," explains Jonathan Reece, MD of KV2 Audio Europe. "We want to deliver the best-quality solution, from system design onwards, and Apex can provide the high-quality processing that we'd like to offer, either in its own right or in conjunction with other products that we manufacture and distribute."

The announcemetn comes shortly after the addition of two new products to Apex's entry-level dB-range of analogue signal processors: the dBC-8 and the dBG-8. The dBC-8 is an 8-channel compressor/limiter in a 19" 1U p

UK - Over the past 23 years, front-of-house sound engineer Kevin Pruce has worked with the biggest names in the business. His live engineering credentials are like a who's who from last three decades of pop, and includes Duran Duran, Adam Ant, The Human League, Tears For Fears, The Style Council, Sinead O'Connor, Björk, Lemon Jelly, Starsailor, Yoko Ono, Meat Loaf and Madonna.

Kevin says: "When it comes to FOH, spec the right equipment for the job, not what is flavour of the month." Pruce himself has an arsenal of Focusrite gear at his disposal. "I have used the ISA 110 [mic pre and EQ], the ISA 430 [Producer Pack], the Red 3 [dual compressor/limiter] and Liquid Channel. I use them all for vocal processing and they are all superb, just so well designed and functional."

But he particularly picks out the ISA428 [multichannel mic pre front end] for praise for

UK - Light & Sound Creations has completed the installation of sound, lighting, plasma and LCD displays and security surveillance system at the Glass Spider, Sunderland's stylish new super-pub.

Located in Green terrace, the heart of Sunderland's 'nightlife quarter', the Glass Spider boasts the largest terrace in the North-East and is operated by Wylam Developments, who also own Ttonic and Vision in Sunderland. Opening night at the Glass Spider featured live music, Vegas-style showgirls, an ice sculpture on the terrace and VIPs arriving by stretched Hummer.

Community loudspeakers have been used throughout the venue, chosen by Light & Sound Creations. The main dance-floor uses four CPL42-94, ceiling-mounted in landscape format, with two TD215S compact dual 15" subs. Bar areas and infill around the dance-floor use Community CPL27s and a CPL23 provides foldback for the DJ boo

UK - Acoustic specialists at the Government Communication Centre (HMGCC) in Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, have been using Klark Teknik's Helix DN9340 digital equalisation system in an unconventional way - to devise new methods of checking out communications systems for use in harsh environments.

HMGCC engineers have been working with a limbless dummy with a small speaker where the mouth should be to simulate human speech. Realistic speech quality is a very important criterion for this project, and one of the many uses of Helix is to EQ the mouth speaker. "I particularly appreciate the rich functionality of Helix, which has allowed the replacement of several EQ units and laboratory audio filters with just one box," says Ken Worrall. "The ability to control both channels independently is an extremely useful function, as is the option of controlling it from a PC in a

USA - Building upon a reputation for sonic quality and rugged reliability with what now represents a third generation of PowerLight technology, QSC has unveiled its new PLX2 range of amplifiers. Designed for live performance, PLX2 amplifiers are divided into two product groups offering power outputs of up to 3,600W.

Adding subwoofer processing and more convenient back-panel switches to the original PLX platform, the fully-featured PLX2 '02' lineup (models PLX1802, PLX2502, PLX3102, and PLX3602) are complemented by the compact PLX2 '04' amps (models PLX1104 and PLX1804), which bring the same technology to applications where bridged or 2 Ohm operation isn't required.

"The PLX2 Series is uncompromising on every level," says QSC founder and chief designer, Pat Quilter. "Paying homage to the power of the technology inside, the outward design of these amplifiers incor

UK - 5 Star Cases has designed and manufactured a special custom flightcase for leading DJ equipment manufacturer Pioneer Europe NV. The case houses a combination of its CDJ-200 CD decks and the new DJM-400 mixer units.

The main brief was to incorporate a cable shield or 'mini loom box' for ensuring that the cables can be kept neat and tidy along the rear of the case when in use and when packed away. Loom boxes are a standard feature on 5 Star's large audio mixing console cases, and so it was logical to incorporate this element of the design into the final layout. "Pioneer wanted a practical and good looking system case to compliment the small footprints of both the CDJ and DJM units," explains John Barsby, 5 Star's product development manager. "The loom box needed to be large enough to take the cables and compact enough to keep the case dimensions within the agre

Norway - BSS Audio's Norwegian distributor LydRommet has devised a highly cost-effective solution at the 400-capacity Aal Culture House, which allows a single set of amplifiers to drive two sets of JBL Professional loudspeakers, one for cinema and the other for general PA/conference purposes. According to the company's Espen Andersen, they have been able to implement this thanks to BSS Audio Soundweb London and now plan to establish this as a template for future implementations.

The company is using Soundweb London, which offers dual-redundant CobraNet audio networking, as the base in almost every installation they do, he explains. "In many cases it has been our ability to provide a total HiQnet solution that has enabled us to win the contract; in fact we have been able to show that it is actually possible to save money by implementing HiQnet in smaller applications."<

France - Digigram, a world leader in PC audio interfaces and innovative networked audio devices, has appointed Remi Oudinot as marketing communications manager.

Oudinot has a strong background in marketing including a degree in the discipline and over 10 years' experience in marketing and communications in a technological environment. He has worked previously for a software vendor in business process management and most recently for a company providing the technology to produce audio guides for museums and cultural centres all over the world, including such prestigious locations as the Empire State building in New York.

Oudinot is looking forward to the challenge offered by working with Digigram. "My primary motivation has always been to work with companies who can offer innovative technological solutions to their market. Digigram's very lifeblood is to be constantly on t

UK - Sound equipment from BSS Audio and Martin Audio is being used extensively in the first Minibar, Ministry of Sound's newly-piloted bar concept. The first is at Harrogate's Grade 1-listed original bath house (which also incorporates a Revolution Bar and JD Wetherspoon). Inside, there's a jacuzzi, hanging chairs, a massive chandelier, three VIP areas, touch-screen computers replacing waiters; plus a high-quality sound system and visual effects, which require complex processing and routing.

All system processing, switching and routing is handled by proprietary Soundweb components from BSS Audio, a company with which system specifier, Dave Bradshaw has enjoyed a long relationship. The 700-capacity venue is divided into eight zones, spread across two floors. This includes the pure white 'Kandi Bar' downstairs, replete with giant leather beds. Bradshaw has set up a DSP network bas

South Africa - The newest premier nightclub to hit Johannesburg - The Manhattan Club - opened to the public at a spectacular launch party on 1 April in Rivonia, an upmarket suburb of the city. Club Manhattan owners, Jonathan Akal and Guy van der Post, have spared no expense on quality finishes and products and a spectacular concept for the new club, including a powerful EAW sound system.

Both the audio and lighting have been supplied and installed by EAW's South African distributor, Johannesburg-based audio specialists, Surgesound. The audio rig comprises four EAW Avalon DC4 full-range loudspeaker systems comprising two 12" LF speakers, one 8" MF speaker, a single 1" exit compression driver each, along with four EAW Avalon DCS2 subs featuring EAW's advanced horn-loaded technology, which maximizes horn length in a relatively small enclosure. The DCS2 subs offer dua

USA - dbx Professional Products, a division of Harman International, has announced a recent installation at the new Aquatic Center in Ventura, California, which employs the dbx ZonePRO 640 digital zone processor as the audio central controller.

During the Center's design phase, it was decided that great sound was a crucial ingredient, both for enhanced enjoyment of the park and to assure clear, intelligible announcements for security and emergency purposes: the ZonePRO 640 is now providing highly discrete zoned audio throughout the new centre in a compact, easy-to-program and cost-effective system, say dbx.

The $22 million Ventura Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art facility that offers users of all ages and skill levels the best in water sports. The Center features a 1.5-mile walking trail perimeter, large grassy malls, two 25ft water slides, a Children's area with two wadin

USA - A Lectrosonics wireless user for many years, production sound mixer David Daniel had never really stopped to consider where exactly the company was based - until an on-set mishap during the first 10 days of filming The Flock - a movie starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes - left him short of transmitters while shooting on location in Albuquerque.

"Rio Rancho could have been anywhere," says Daniel. "It didn't occur to me until I was into the shoot and Claire goes to the restroom and drops her transmitter into the toilet that the Lectrosonics plant was around here somewhere. Thankfully, it turned out to be a suburb of Albuquerque. I called and, before I left the set that day, Karl Winkler from Lectrosonics was on the set with two replacement transmitters including one of the new SM 'Super Mini' units."

The SM super-miniature transmitter was ' we

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